drunkcyclist2

Crew: El Pres, PTD, Dr S, Dunc, Lee, Butty, Stunt

Pub: El Pud

Route: Top of Bull Hill Lane, Walker Barn, Charity & Extension, Cat, Danebower Hollow, down Cut-thorne, 3 Shires Head, up the field, Cumberland Clough & Brook, Standing Stone, the RHS singletrack, road to Sutton Hall

Conditions: Warm, Murky, Breezy

Notes:

This week a return to warmth, with short sleeves again in order. With the usual leadership distracted by decking projects or throat lurgy, Stunt takes charge and sets an ambitious plan to get to 3 Shires. Lee promises some birthday refreshment!

Top of Bull Hill Lane for a 6pm start, and we are a couple of riders short, Butty has sent some cryptic messages but we think he has somehow lost his “e” so we share our route plan for him to catch up, El Pres hopes to meet us for the refreshment stop – we offer the Chumby Brook gate as a target.

Despite the warmth, there is a lot of cloud about and some breeze, and visibility to the west is very hazy.

The five of us will do Charity to give Butty a chance to take the high road and meet us, the RHS higher path is greasy and slippy with the heavy rains a couple of days ago, so the main lane is the better option. Dr S is regretting the lack of rear mudguard on the wet bits!

Regrouping at the tea rooms, we find that Butty has overtaken us and is already heading over into Danebower .

With the light fading it’s good to see the lights are burning at the Cat, and it’s very atmospheric with the bottom of the cloud layer literally brushing the roof. Heading off road we are soon into eerie mistiness, head lamps on dim settings, looking for our comrade.

He is relieved to see us at the gate at the top, as its all a bit too “american werewolf in london” up there! A bit of faffing as to whether to put another layer on, or armwarmers or a windproof! With a quality street (in lieu of cake) from Lee to keep us going after all the climbing. We discover that his late switch to acoustic was due to range anxiety, charge leakage if you leave it unplugged it too long looks like it may be a “e” thing!?

Shadows and reflections in the funny murky conditions make hazards of the most mundane things – the tall dead grass becoming distractingly bright and making the trail hard to see being a first!

Down to the main road out of the cloud, and a reverse in and out to three shires is proposed, so a fast spin down the tarmac to the Cut Thorn turn, more tarmac to the cottage and the gate. Butty embraces the spirit of Pete with some tyre pressure management.

Plenty of rocky fun on the way down, and it is a long way down… not Paris-Roubaix blood on the handlebars stuff, but definitely felt in the forearms! Unsuprisingly flying dentists are at the bottom first.

Time for Lee to break out the Brandy, and very smooth it is too.

All the return options are mooted, but in the end the field wins out, the rocky first section is more challenging that expected as legs are slightly jellified (or maybe it was the brandy!)

The actual track along the side of the field is pretty soft so its a grind over the bumpy grass, following the electricity poles for guidance… all this warm moist air now deciding to condense in the cooler spots. We find our way out and regroup at the start of Chumby. Time is beginning to be a factor, so there is no waiting about, and as lead riders reach a gate the others flow through, the brook lives up to it’s name, and there are some pretty damp riders as we exit the last gate onto wildboarclough.

Still no evidence of any activity at the closed road section – weak bridge perhaps??

No rest for the wicked if we are to finish our big ride with the new favourite RHS down from standing stone, and it always feels good to have crested at standing stone, knowing its all downhill from here!

Butty is nursing a soft front tyre after all the rocky batterings of the nights ride (or did he just let too much out earlier?).

A bit muddy and slippy on the entry, but further it was still ok, although Butty took some of us off piste to avoid more dodgy patches.

PTD also suffers tyre deflation at the last, and bails out to the Shrubbery for four wheels to get him to the pub!

Heads down with beer legs all the way to the pub for the rest of us, and locking up right on schedule 🙂

Courage Directors is a blast from the past for those of us with London drinking memories, extra chips for a couple of folk, but we resist puddings.

We are blessed with the “bespoke jacketted man about town” that is the evening incarnation of the Thornton, and he brings tales of Mawds mayhem with hybrid cars 😉

What – 3 pints good, and no whisky…is the collective on a new health kick??

Butty bemoans his lack of e for the ride home, and funnily enough decides that coalpit lane is not the chosen route back tonight!

With the wild weather swings this month will we see snow next week!??

Crew: El Pres, Coley, Dunc, Lee, Stunt, Slim, Butty, TJ

Pub: Adrian and Biscuit

Route: MC, zig zags, charity & extension, cat, danebower hollow, cumberland clough, standing stone, RHS singletracks, LHS tracks, ressies, Sutton Hall

Conditions: Warm, light breeze, murky, dry trails.

Notes:

Ops leader “Thunder Run” Dunc calls a classic route, and we need a 5:30 start to achieve it before the food deadline at Sutton Hall.

Those that can, do, and arrive at MC puffing at the uphill start. Very murky views, with Jodrell Bank only just visible, and Manchester under grey, it does feel like it could rain, but apps say otherwise. Those of us who have not brought waterproofs wonder if we may have been overly optimistic! Lee confesses to forgetting his main light battery – invoking the spirit of the Troll 🙂

An on-time depart, and no extended chatty stops, get up up and down chazza and heading up from the bottom of the oven debating the Tour of Britain climb category from the stage the other week. The Cat is brushing the bottom of the cloud layer.

Comms from the join en route folks – and hey presto the eBiker is again waving at us from the ridge above the tea rooms, Slim is already waiting at the cat, and as we don and extra layer (with a ninja black vibe going round) we spot the orange dot of TJ coming around the bend.

All present and correct within the 15 min time tolerance agreed.

Cool this close to the cloud, and across we head to Danebower. At the gate, Stunt discovers his front light is excessively wobbly – and after applying tape to the foot of the fitting does not solve the problem – a big rubber band does the job!

Lights needed now as dusk descends, and loose stones fly on a speedy dry trail down to the road.

Traversing across to Chumby we assist with sheep herding duties to rescue a lady driver who is stuck behind 3 or 4 ewes who are happy to eat the grass verge all evening.

Chunky! is the only way to describe Chumby – but it is the driest it has been for many a month, with the ford at the bottom a mere splash of a thing.

Lee makes it down without incident on head torch in the gloom.

You know it’s been a good ride when the standing stone climb is tough on the legs. Having been driven hard by TNR’s own elite athlete we have made excellent time, so with such dry trails the RHS option is a must. Lee gets a battery loan from Slim to keep it all safe and sound.

We even get a quick snifter stop at Bob’s bench from TJ, with some very smooth Singleton single malt.

Sutton Hall awaits, and we are greeted with news of a mystery ninth person who has added themselves to the booking.

A good selection of lighter ales, including a white beer, and a whole range of pales, from the delicate Quench, to the tastier and tounge twistingly Chop Hop Ale.

Adrian is our mystery guest, and introduces us to his new Springer – the lovely and uber well behaved Biscuit.

All is well with the world as we have lovely table service, El Pres and Slim present 42 vouchers for a massive food discount, and at the Autumn Solstice we are still riding in short sleeves.

Some hilarity when the suggestion that it’s been a really long and light summer is debunked by the observation that is we start an hour early – we get an hour more light than we normally would!! Even so no one is complaining that the late summer vibe continues.

Cue broken weather for next week.

Don’t forget to turn the light chargers on at the wall folks!

The rubber band light fixing worked really well – but unlike the El Pres philosphy of leave it on until it breaks, we are informed that new mount & cleat has been ordered!

Crew: El Pres, TJ, Dunc, Toll, Stunt, Butty

Route: MC, Zig Zags, Charity, Narnia, Hardingland, Sutton Hall

Conditions: Hot, Wet and Steamy

Notes:

A small contingent braved the end of summer weather for the proper TNR, a larger group had gathered on Buxton Road at lunchtime to see the Tour of Britain flash by and negotiate the tricky high speed turn from Buxton Road into Fence Avenue, with El Pud hosting post event Tea (well as long as you supplied the tea and milk!!)

Dunc gave us the inside story of his 9 hour epic 35 mile 5000ft of climb Gristone Grind run at the weekend, and also a cautionary tale on what can happen this time of year with the overgrown shubbery if you have taken off your sunglasses – tree in the eye = 3 hours in A&E and some special ointment for scratched eyeball!

Much debating the ongoing weather situation from our vantage point at MC, the worst of it seemed to be West over the plain, and lightening skies from where the weather headed towards us. We opt for a classic start to Narnia Bench and take it from there.

It’s raining hard enough for an outer layer, but hot enough to create internal dampness so no one is quite sure what to do, one thing is certain, it’s too humid to ride hard.

Regular cool off stops are needed, and hence the ribaldry gets some early opportunities, with the ebike pics from Tyrolean eagled valley’s from Slim prompting some suitably cheeky thoughts.

Just about stopped raining by the start of Charity, and at the top it was very peaceful and still despite the murk.

We may have dallied a little too long as the light is fading on the descent, and some of us have forgotten what wet rocky riding is all about!

Heading to Narnia bench there are new hazards to negotiate with staggered fence barriers across the track. Whomever has installed them has paid scant attention to the needs of pushchairs or wheelchairs, as they are very narrow.

TJ treats us to birthday celebratory rust nails, and ignites fierce debate on blended or single malt for the whisky element! There is also some very fine pork pie.

Butty joins us for a final splash of the good stuff, before its lights on and down to Witches cottage.

Troll arrives bloodied and muddied from hitting a water bar at the wrong angle, and Butty has a close shave with a big tree root. Dunc does the health and safety talk about eyes and its down hardingland we go, closely followed by lower Teggs and the Big Steps to the ford.

Time has marched, and there are no dissenters when straight to the pub is proposed.

Cwtch red ale is the go to beverage, the chunky table chips are excellent (although we didn’t really need them), and when the Troll asks “do you trust me” when going to the bar for the whisky order…you know you may have paid the price for not bothering to go yourself!

By accidentally ordering doubles, he joins the over £7 a glass brigade!! It was very good, and Ruth has arrived to join in too. Somehow some of us order a second double and it becomes a very expensive evening!!

18C at midnight = short sleeves for the ride home.

Crew: Coley, El Pres, Slim, Butty, TJ, 3 Sheds, Troll, Stunt

Route: MC, Zig zags, walker barn, charity, extension, standing stone, nessit, lower part of the proper downhill course, back up to the bottom of the white rabbit track, road up past the Hanging Gate, Withenshaw lane, Ryles Arms.

Conditions: Sunny, warm, gentle breeze, cold post pub.

Coley takes operational leadership and declares an 8:30 Ryles finish from a 6pm Muller Corner start, wildboarclough ish route, and a Ryles finish. El Pres throws down the gauntlet of getting there via the downhill from Croker Hill…

This weeks views from there are of the sunny and glorious variety, Butty is running late but meets us part way up the zig, TJ declares he will meet us in the forest….

A perfect evening for drinking in the scenery and chatting away, Stunt stops to catch up with an old work colleague just after the zig, but catches up by the end of the Zag.

Huge Buzzard slowly flaps into a glide from a field by the Buxton Road, we find TJ at the start of Charity, and let a couple of riders past with their trail dog.

The higher RHS option at charity has some surprisingly muddy slippy bits to keep you honest, and the main track is still running some water all the way to the end.

The ruts on the approach to the extension catch out Coley who has a brief commune with the vegetation as a result, the tricky bit loose and lumpy but no issues this time.

Time to face up to some over optimistic route plans, and the Pigford moor option is passed over in favour of heading to Nessit. The singletrack from behind the shutlingsloe entry is seriously overgrown, it needs lots more riding (or maybe some trail trimming?)

More eye candy from a low sun throwing many a lovely hue across the landscape.

More debate about how best to descend, this weeks route editor is 3 Sheds, who decides we should explore the lower part of the downhill course proper. It’s muddy and wet is plenty of places, and it’s either great fun, or “great fun” depending on your capabilities! Amazingly we all come out at the same end point despite the myriad of options.

One last road climb as the sun sets, Butty chats to the Hanging Gate landlord about the sign for pies, with a pre order this could be a finish back on the menu!

Tis a long way past the ‘Gate to the turn for Withenshaw lane, and with the last of the red disc having just disappeared beyond the welsh hills we are descending at speed into cool air towards a bright and busy Ryles arms.

They have extended the main area out over the old patio, and it’s gone all gastro pub trendy inside (cutaway beer barrels as urinals). Service is excellent and ever, with our waitress ex of the vale and remembers us!

Otters Pool and Black Sheep slide down nicely, Food choice a bit pub standard, and serving the burger and chips on old tin trays is a bit pretensious (bah humbug!) but it does the job….well apart from the Small Fish and chips, so Troll does Creme Brulee and Coffee (which temps El Pres into pudding too)

We must have had fun, because despite starting early, it’s suddenly Whisky o’clock and time for extra layers for a chilly descent back into Macc and all roads home.